Advanced Technology -Previous

We use the latest dental technology including the recent addition of a new Panex OPG X-Ray machine which has significant patient benefits compared to the older technology. At Morrow Street Dental we use technology to allow us to provide the best restorative and preventative care. This includes tools that have been designed to prevent tooth diseases occurring. We use the following dental technology:

We use the latest dental technology including the recent addition of a new Panex OPG X-Ray machine which has significant patient benefits compared to the older technology. At Morrow Street Dental we use technology to allow us to provide the best restorative and preventative care. This includes tools that have been designed to prevent tooth diseases occurring. We use the following dental technology:

This is an early Caries/Decay detection system using a Infared laser, consists of a display that is connected to a pen which either your hygienist or your dentist will use to scan your teeth. You'll actually be holding the display readout as they are scanning your teeth, and when the laser detects a possible cavity, you'll hear beeping and be able to check the reading on the display. Once again, in addition to its invaluable ability to detect caries at a very early stage and enable us to plan an effective treatment strategy, it also involves you in the process. It's technology in the service of patient involvement in treatment planning, and it enables us to provide the most conservative approach possible in developing your treatment plan.

Air abrasion is a drill-less technique that is being used by some dentists to remove tooth decay and for other applications.

How Does Air Abrasion Work?

During air abrasion, an instrument that works like a mini sandblaster is used to spray away decay. During air abrasion, a fine stream of particles is aimed at the decayed portion of the tooth. These particles are made of silica, aluminum oxide, or a baking soda mixture and are propelled toward the tooth surface by compressed air or a gas that runs through the dental handpiece. Small particles of decay on the tooth surface are removed as the stream of particles strikes them. The particles of decay are then "suctioned" away.

Is Air Abrasion Safe?

Yes, air abrasion is safe. The only precautions needed before air abrasion are protective eye wear (to prevent eye irritation from the spray) and the use of a rubber dam (a rubber sheet that fits around teeth) or protective resin applied to nearby teeth and gums to protect areas of the mouth that aren't being treated. The suctioning of particles also prevents them from being breathed into the lungs.

What Are the Advantages of Air Abrasion?

Compared with the traditional drilling method, the advantages of air abrasion are many and include the following:

Air abrasion generates no heat, sound, pressure, or vibration.

Air abrasion reduces the need for anesthesia, particularly if the cavity is shallow.

Air abrasion leaves much more of the healthy tooth tissue behind.

Air abrasion leaves the working area relatively dry, which is an advantage during the placement of composite fillings.

Air abrasion reduces the risk of microfracturing and chipping of the tooth, which some experts believe can lead to premature restorative failures.

Air abrasion allows the dentist to treat multiple sites in the mouth during a single visit.

The procedure is relatively simple and quick.

What Are the Disadvantages?

Air abrasion is not necessarily totally painless. The air can cause sensitivity and so can the abrasives used.

Air abrasion is not recommended for deep cavities (those close to the tooth's pulp). It is best suited for removing small cavities that form early on the surface of teeth.

Only composite filling material can be used following air abrasion because it adheres well to the smooth surface created by the air abrasion (amalgam or silver fillings require drill-based cuts to prevent the filling from falling out).

Who Are the Best Candidates for Air Abrasion Procedures?

Air abrasion is ideal for use in children and others who are fearful and have minimal decay.

What Other Types of Procedures Are Performed With Air Abrasion?

Air abrasion can also be used to:

Remove some old composite restorations, but not metallic restorations such as silver amalgam fillings

Prepare a tooth surface for bonding or sealants

Remove superficial stains and tooth discolourations

What are the benefits of air abrasion?

Patients like the near absence of noise, and the total absence of vibration. There is never any burning smell as the teeth cannot get hot. Properly used, air abrasion often does not require a ‘shot’. You can imagine how disappointed folks are when they find they can have treatment without an injection, and feel no pain.

The buzz words in surgery now are ‘minimally invasive’. While the medics look at ways of doing things through keyholes, dentists are also excited by earlier more delicate interventions on teeth. Air abrasion excels at doing delicate work.

Ideally, early decay should be spotted by laser diagnosis. This is long before anything can be seen on an x-ray film, or visually. The laser readings are recorded in the dental chart at each check-up. Sometimes it becomes clear that diet and cleaning advice is not working, and the laser readings are inexorably increasing. If someone is clearly at risk from decay, and the bugs are winning, how nice to have the option of ‘micro dentistry’ using air abrasion! The air abrasion device may be used to gently remove the areas of very early decay before the hole can even be seen. Children benefit especially, as they feel so little, and the extra cleaning means that their fissure sealants are placed quickly, and with a better bond. Much smaller holes can be filled earlier in this way, rather than waiting until the hole is much bigger, or worse, cutting lots of healthy tooth to get to a small hole.

Mums and dads are always impressed when the technology is demonstrated, and those who hate needles or drills are truly appreciative. It’s not a panacea for everything (such as deep fillings), but it’s a great extra option that suits a lot of dentists and their patients.

This is used for the sterilization of the teeth by killing bacteria by breaking the bacterial cell wall.

KaVo HealOzone – for gentle caries treatment

No pain

No drilling

No side effects or ensuing disorders

HealOzone, the new approach to caries treatment, offers you all this and more. Its very easy to use and is scientifically proven. Caries bacteria are surrounded with ozone without manual contact and are killed in a matter of seconds - without an injection, without drilling, without pain and without side effects.

HealOzone Procedure

The procedure is very simple: after cleaning and drying the tooth surface, the dentist measures the caries damage by a laser technique. If a certain value is exceeded, the new pain - free treatment is used: your dentist places a small cap on the area affected by caries. The inflowing ozone cures the caries - and is sucked away again.

Thanks to a final mineral treatment and a remineralisation set for use at home, your tooth will be intact and resistant, up to the follow - up examination. Kavo HealOzone - you will never need to worry about going to the dentist again.

After the cleaning the tooth with a prophyflex device – a polish powder in combination with high water pressure provided by this appliance will be blown on the tooth. This Sodium bicarbonate powder, water and air mixture removes various scretions and discolorations from the tooth. (This method resembles the common sand blasting or waterblasting.) This method helps the removal of staining from fissures that are hard to reach.

First, as you may know, digital radiography is a new X-Ray technology that eliminates film. When you have X-Rays taken in our office with the award winning Sirona system (Germany), you won't have to wait for X-Ray film to be developed.

You'll immediately see a digital X-Ray image on a large-screen computer, very near the chair you're sitting in. There's no waiting for film to be developed, so you don't waste your time.

The X-Ray technology is used for treatment planning and with the new X-Ray machine radiation exposure is reduced by 90% to the patient.

This award winning dental chair was developed in Germany to provide comfort and safety to patients without compromising on technological aspects:

- Adjustable motorised headrest to ensure patient is comfortable.

- Reprogrammable settings for comfort are in place to memorize your seating position to return at your personal setting.

- Your safety is ensured with a system of disinfection solutions to effectively combat the formation of biofilms in the water lines and pathways of tubing for dental titanium handpeices and aspiration systems.

We use the latest computer wizardry to measure the length of the canal to within 0.1mm. It is then shaped by Nickel-Titanium files using a computerised motor before being filled using the state-of-the-art

What this means to you the patient, is more accurate, and therefore more successful root canal treatments.

While all diode lasers cut tissue using heat, many of them can increase tissue temperature excessively, causing patient discomfort. The ezlase keeps patients more comfortable two ways.

Its 940 nm wavelength, developed exclusively for dentistry by Biolase, is better absorbed by hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin than other wavelengths, so the ezlase cuts efficiently at lower power and with less heat.

In addition, an exclusive ezlase feature called ComfortPulse™ lets you significantly reduce the amount of time the laser is actually cutting, to avoid pain-inducing heat build-up at the surgical site. This unique combination of features means you can perform most ezlase procedures using topical anaesthetic only.

The most powerful portable diode laser.

The ezlase delivers power other portable diode lasers can’t match. Dentists and clinicians work with up to 7 watts of power. An available battery pack provides enough power for a full day of procedures. That means more freedom to manoeuvre the ezlase during operations, greater ease moving between operatories, and – with no power cord to get in the way – a safer working environment.

The ezlase™ also features “standby” and “ready mode” functions that guard against unintentional delivery of laser energy.

Unmatched versatility.

Soft-tissue Surgery The ezlase offers the most precise control of tissue cutting for different procedures and tissue biotypes. Dentists and clinicians can choose from the widest selection of tip lengths and diameters.

An ultrasonic cleaner is a cleaning device that uses ultrasound (usually from 20–400 kHz) and an appropriate cleaning solvent to clean delicate items. The ultrasound can be used with only water but use of a solvent appropriate for the item to be cleaned and the soiling enhances the effect. Cleaning normally lasts between three and six minutes. Ultrasonic cleaning is a process created by high frequency soundwaves. The soundwaves create high energy cavitation. During cavitation millions of tiny bubbles form and then implode, releasing enormous amounts of energy and shock waves. This powerful scouring action reaches into minute crevices which cannot be reached by manual scrubbing. The combination of energy and specially formulated solutions make ultrasonic cleaning the most effective method for removing gross and microscopic debris.

An autoclave is an instrument used to sterilize equipment and supplies by subjecting them to high pressure saturated steam penetration at 134 °C for 4 minutes (the entire cycle takes between 30 - 40 minutes)depending on the size of the load and the contents. The Lisa steam sterilizer provides hospital grade Type B cycles which are designed for all load types and thus guarantees that the processed dental instruments are fully sterilized and dry at the cycle end.